Malachy O'Rourke has stepped down as Monaghan manager after the county's loss to Armagh in the qualifiers this evening.
Monaghan would fall to defeat in Clones, exiting the championship after a 2-17 to 1-12 loss to their Ulster rivals. This brought to an end a disappointing championship campaign, which also featured a four-point defeat to Cavan in their Ulster championship opener.
After reaching an All-Ireland semi-final last year, many have speculated that this could be the end of the road for this current Monaghan team.
O'Rourke's departure would certainly lend some credibility to those claims, as he brings to an end his seven-year spell in charge. The news was confirmed by the Monaghan GAA Twitter page directly after the game.
Monaghan Manager Malachy O Rourke steps down after 7 years thanks for great memories Malachy!!
— @monaghangaa (@monaghangaa) June 22, 2019
He brought some amazing success to the county over that spell, including two Ulster titles in 2013 and 2015. That 2013 crown was their first in 25 years, and he turned the Farney Men into one of the truly elite teams in the country.
There has been signs of regression in 2019 however, and he clearly feels that now is the right time to step aside.
While he was ultimately unable to deliver a Sam Maguire to the county, he will no doubt be held in high esteem by Monaghan supporters for years to come.
